Show I MORE PRESS COMMENTS ON MOR MONISM MOR I MONISM THERE have been more press comments on the report made by the present Utah Commission than upon any similar document previously previously previously formulated by that body And the extraordinary lengths to which it has gone in making publican publican recommendations as to the treatment of Mormon citizens of the United States have raised the question as to the utility of a body which costs the country so 80 much and does so little The N New ew York Advertiser publishes a communication communication communication tion containing the following sharp paragraphs This duty of registration might quite as easily be performed by the secretary of the Territory as by the congressional committee at a of and their traveling ex- ex expenses expenses ex expenses for going to and coming from Utah twice in a year The only excuse for retaining them in office is like that of the appointment of Corporal Tan Tan- Tanner Tanner Tinner ner It not only obly creates an asylum for old political hacks but it ends in get get- getting getting getting ting rid of the surplus and in creating a sIty nece-sIty for tor the continuance of ot high protective duties But these champ champ- champions champions champions I ions of patriotism and virtue do not notI take that view of the case They have just issued their annual report and while they are forced to admit that from causes with which they have no- no nothing nothing no nothing thing to do there have been scarcely any now new cases of polygamy and tha that the continuance in the practice is rap rap- rapidly rap rapidly idly diminishing they spread them them- themselves themselves themselves selves over six or seven newspaper columns in their attempt to demon demon- demonstrate demonstrate demonstrate strate that their retention Is a They have constructed a theory that they are sent there not Dot only to see aee the Edmunds law enforced but in a gen gen- general general gen general eral way to supervise the moi ale of the and to counteract the thein in influence of the Priesthood the hier hier hierarchy archy and the theocracy y It is not enough for fOl them that polygamist have been disfranchised ed that the prow pro- pro w r h L t 1 perty party of the church and of the emi emi- emigration emigration ration fund contributed by the gration peo peo- people people r- r pIe have been confiscated but they k now desire to be commissioned as missionaries to convert the Mormons r from their belief which is so wicked in their eyes that they propose to tor toj r I IJ j J put them on a judicial rack with some someI I new and sharp spikes In it if it they do dor donot r not renounce their faith i The Advertiser commenting edi- edi editorially edi tori ally on this matter says saya The Government has nothing to do dot doI I t with Mormonism as a religious creed its duties are limited to the suppress suppression s- s sion of polygamy The Idaho law that a Mormon believer cannot vote even though he takes oath that he heI never has practiced and never will I practice polygamy is contrary to the thel l spirit of our institutions and to the G interpretation which the Supreme l Y Court of the United States has placed r upon the guarantee of religious religions liberty in our federal Constitution The pro pro- proposal proposal proposal of the Utah Commission that a national law to the effect should be enacted is pre eminently a foolish one The only effect of such an enactment would be to strengthen Mormonism by making martyrs and embittering the Mormon population I IThe The measures already employed for its suppression are drastic enough They remind one indeed of the atti atti- attitude attic attitude c tude of the English missionaries in inthe inthe inthe the east who refu refuse to baptise converts unless they rid themselves of their former wives wives-an wives an attitude which in one case at least vouched for by Bishop Selwyn resulted in a New Zealand chiefs chief's fitting himself for forI I f this his sacrament by eating eight of his L wives out of the nine We cannot ex- ex ex expect pact peet or indeed desire that all polygamists mists 1 mists should be so zealous as this to tor r l rl conform with the requirements of our The sensible for forI forthe hf civilization thing the United States to do is to let Mor- Mor Mormonism monism Mor-monism I monism die a natural death instead a of attempting to strangle it outright The San Francisco Francisco Alta comments t on the report of the Commission in Inthis th this wl wise 4 There is no demonstrable evidence of an increase in polygamy Thema- Thema The ma ma- majority majority of the Commission insinuates l that it still flourishes but confesses its J 96 inability to prove it A Mormon po po st is not discharged from ro- ro rol rob responsibility re responsibility l b for the support of his plural plural plural al wives and their children and ii il is hardly possible that this obligation n should leave the officers of the law without evidence of ot the existence of it r such uch families The whole issue is the most delicate that our Government has ever been called upon to handle Out Out- Outsiders elders siders have refused to treat polygamy u as a religious ordinance made to sin sin- sincere sincere sin sincere cere believers in a life to appear as a means of grace and to warrant a hope of glory If It those who practice it were a lot of ot lustful hypocrites ay a y 2 colony of satyrs the treatment of the case would be different and much easier easier easier ier But the institution has been boon al- al allowed allowed al allowed lowed to exist for more than forty years It has been fortified behind imposing ritual ceremonies it has been divested of the flesh and an clad in the spirit for more than a generation Therefore it requires philosophic study and tr The new laws asked for contemplate the infliction of what will be re- re regarded regarded re regarded as ignominy upon those who are convicted of this offense To im- im imprisonment imprisonment im imprisonment is to be added hard labor and as imprisonment now overtakes more old men than young there will willbe willbe willbe be presented to the Mormon community community community ity the spectacle of its patriarchs im- im imprisoned imprisoned im imprisoned and driven to labor under the guns of keepers The more sincere the Mormons are the more revolting will the sight appear to they will point to it as persecution for the sake of reli religion on It is surprising that under the circumstances the whole matter has not has not been brought to a con con- conference conference conference ference between the Mormon leaders and representatives of the govern govern- government government government ment So far they have appeared as 88 I two hostile camps with no exchange except the appearance app of officers with Federal writs to take members of one party to prison We seem to have for for- forgotten forgotten forgotten gotten that the Mormons are perhaps as incapable of subjection by force as were the Huguenots and Puritans They use the same arguments and make the same appeals to conscience and religious it is the history of man that such appeals have always profoundly moved him It is well to think of this before we add to t t volume of legislation upon the subject statutes that lead to the sword as the final agent of ot ridding the country of a religious custom by the extirpation ot of ota ofa ofa a people The rhe subjoined extracts are taken from an editorial in the Auburn New York Dispatch It is truly to be hoped that if there is isa isa isa a spirit of intolerance towards Mor Mor- Mormonism Mormonism Mormonism monism merely as a religion in this country that spirit may be sternly discouraged ed This country has with the greatest diversity of races the greatest diversity of religions under the sun The surest pledge of the perpetuity of American republican institutions must lie in the more com com- complete complete complete assimilation of the different races institutions habits of thought etc which are exhibited in the face of our society Mormonism is undoubtedly spread spread- spreading spreading ing and in a certain sense it is agree agres- sive agres-sive sive I 1 It t is beyond all doubt dangerous in its tendencies even if polygamy be abolished But the policy of the Gov Gov- Government Government Government in dealing with it ought to be shaped very carefully so that the cry of religious discrimination cannot be justly raised It It was the c conflict inflict of sects which overthrew England's ai a e i 1 v dream of a republic in the days Cromwell and paved the way for restoration f-restoration restoration of t a monarchy w wunder i under a modified form still Our closing quotation is from editorial it in the RUnion R ff Union ir which 11 has i- i always bt eJ beet strong Mormon anti-Mormon paper I The Utah Commission reports the Federal Mederal Government that a in 4 opinion Congress should S Pass Ia- Ia 1 severely punishing women who c into the polygamous relation as 88 su infliction would lessen S J their This is gross error The history of ofT T time proves that the most faithful faithful- faithful of of superstition the most de- de devoting A voting and self self- self sacrificing of religion are women If it is true as 88 tM t the the- Commission ion recites many Mormons Mormon a accept accept not from J choice but Im because they are taught and so 80 believes believe that it it is ia an an essential of their faith faith and we believe it to be true then the punishment of Mormon women for for- for adherence to tais tills tenet of their fait faith would simply strengthen them in InS They would burn at the stake before J they would recant and suffer in d dm duB goon geon cells rather than disobey u the Ur ll command to be sealed be-sealed sealed to the bretA- bretA bre ran ren of the Church of Jesus Christ 6 Latter-day Latter Saints It has bas been out our a fortune to known many of these peo- peo oeo- oeo people pie and to live fora lor a time in their midst and we do not hesitate to aver that thai there are no devotees on earth s f more mom courageous faithful and ready to suf aut- Buffer fer martyrdom for their belief than the sincere Mormon women the women the the-Aw insincere do in not Tint enter o nl into the yg holy holy- state at least very rarely To attach 4 attach penalties to to o these m women and attaint them of crt crime crime would not serve to check the evil but bat rather rather to aggravate it it |